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Black Mirror on Channel 4

Wed February 20, 2013 10:45 pm

Black Mirror is a British television drama series created by Charlie Brooker. The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding the programme's content and structure, Brooker noted, "each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."

http://www.channel4.com/microsites/B/black-mirror

The first series aired in December 2011 and I was pleasantly surprised to see a second series start last month. The show is very dark, something that is evident within the first 10 to 15 minutes of the first episode. The second series ups the ante similarly but not as quickly, though it's hard to even approach the first episodes cringe factor.

1 The National Anthem - The opening programme to the series is a 44 minute long political thriller in which fictional Prime Minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) faces a huge and shocking dilemma when (fictional) Princess Susannah, Duchess of Beaumont (Lydia Wilson), a much-loved member of the Royal Family, is kidnapped. For her safe return, the Prime Minister must have sexual intercourse with a pig on national television.[10]

2 15 Million Merits - A satire on entertainment shows and our insatiable thirst for distraction set in a sarcastic version of a future reality. In this world, everyone must cycle on exercise bikes, arranged in cells, in order to power their surroundings and generate currency for themselves called Merits. Everyone is dressed in a grey tracksuit and has a "doppel", a virtual avatar that people can customise with clothes, for a fee of merits. Everyday activities are constantly interrupted by advertisements that cannot be skipped or ignored without financial penalty. Obese people are considered to be second-class citizens, and work either as cleaners around the machines (where they receive verbal abuse) or are humiliated on game shows.

3 The Entire History of You - Set in an alternative reality where most people have a 'grain' implanted behind their ear which records everything they do, see or hear. This allows memories to be played back either in front of the person's eyes or on a screen, a process known as a 're-do'.


1 Be Right Back - Martha (Hayley Atwell) and Ash (Domhnall Gleeson) are a young couple who move to a remote house in the countryside. Ash is a social media addict and compulsively checks his phone for updates on his social network pages. The day after moving into the house, Ash is killed returning the hire van.

2 White Bear - In a bedroom, a woman named Victoria Skillane (Lenora Crichlow) wakes up in a chair to find she can't recall anything about her life.

3 The Waldo Moment - Jamie Slater (Daniel Rigby) is a failed comedian who performs the voice and movements (via performance capture) of a blue cartoon bear named Waldo, who interviews politicians and other authority figures. The interviewees are fooled into thinking the Waldo interviews are for a children's TV programme, when they're actually for a late-night, topical comedy show. Waldo the bear is extremely popular with the British public, and a pilot for his own series is commissioned, but despite the character's success Jamie is depressed and unsatisfied with his life.


I have no idea what Ruddock is talking about: this is about the show Black Mirror, and other than the channel I don't see why you'd merge the two threads. 8-)
Last edited by bune on Tue February 26, 2013 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Utopia on Channel 4

Thu February 21, 2013 8:09 pm

Merge!

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=800

Re: Utopia on Channel 4

Fri February 22, 2013 4:02 pm

The last episode of S2 aired last night. Very interesting idea, and a nice change from the sheer bleakness/darkness of the previous 2. Well, 5 if you're counting.

Re: Black Mirror on Channel 4

Thu October 31, 2013 7:08 pm

Incredible television. I love this show.

tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 5:22 am

This show is pretty fucked up, dudes. I dare say it's cynical.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 5:32 am

I just added this to my Netflix queue the other day. I'm curious.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 5:48 am

The first one was too ridiculous. I just don't see things playing out like that.

The second episode was disturbing.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 5:53 am

Wait, is it an anthology series?

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 5:55 am

Yes. Sort of a near future Twilight Zone.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 7:53 am

Third one was fantastic.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 8:53 am

Welcome to C Brooker.

Dead Set is worth a watch too.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 11:02 am

I grew up reading PC Zone, which Charlie Brooker wrote for. He got one issue pulled from shelves for a feature about Lara Croft's zoo, exclusively with animals she'd shot and killed.

He also had to eat his own arse in one issue, complete with picture.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sun December 07, 2014 11:03 am

Image

Spoiler: show
Image

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sat December 13, 2014 10:54 pm

On the fourth ep of this series. This show is so effing good.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sat December 13, 2014 11:20 pm

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=877&hilit=black+mirror

:search:

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sat December 13, 2014 11:20 pm

And yes, it's incredible television.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Thu January 08, 2015 8:51 am

Ugh this is so good. It's fucking devastating.

Re: tv: Black Mirror

Sat January 10, 2015 12:31 am

The second one was so fucked up

Re: Black Mirror on Channel 4

Sat January 10, 2015 2:05 am

Just started this. Love it.

Re: Black Mirror on Channel 4

Sat January 10, 2015 5:23 pm

watched them all over the holidays on netflix.. loved it. anyone know where online one might be able to find the 'white christmas' episode?
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